Pre-Game Talk: Game 3 - Montreal @ NYR - May 22

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Still ~33 hours until game time, but thought we could use the pre game thread now.

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[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Great read: http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=29504&navid=nhl:topheads

 

[Gardner McKay]

We need to go up 3-0. Nothing else to say IMO. Giving them one in our building will give them life. If they manage to squeak out 2 wins at MSG, it will be hell for us. Winning this one is our only option.

 

[Ail]

I can't see this team playing a bad game right now even if they are a worse home team. Henrik is super nova and the rest of the team is playing cohesive. If Brassard is back I think Montreal is going to find themselves in an exercise in futility against a well oiled machine.

Whoever they put in net is in for a long night.

 

[silverfish]

Nothing else to say but win. Put a stranglehold on the series, and lay off the pressure on us a little bit.

The Rangers are the better team in this series. As I said in the PGT after game 2, I have NEVER seen the Habs skate that hard in a game, in all their games I watched this season, and they still had no answer for the system AV concocted in a lab in a dark cave somewhere.

Need to try and take a little bit of the pressure off of Hank. He was huge for us in period 1 in game 2. We need to come out hard, and put the pressure on Tokarski early. Shatter his confidence if we can.

 

[FJB]

We need to go up 3-0. Nothing else to say IMO. Giving them one in our building will give them life. If they manage to squeak out 2 wins at MSG, it will be hell for us. Winning this one is our only option.

This.

You can't lose at home in the post season.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Winning would be great and should be the expectation. We won won two in a rabid Montreal, where they had the matchups and STILL couldn't handle our depth.

Get Kreider out there against Emelin again. Keep our top two pairings glued to their top two lines.

Play a simple but up tempo game and we'll be one win away from the cup.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

We need to go up 3-0. Nothing else to say IMO. Giving them one in our building will give them life. If they manage to squeak out 2 wins at MSG, it will be hell for us. Winning this one is our only option.

Completely agree. We need to win. In fact, if we have any hope of winning a Cup, we need to end this early and rest up. I still think the WCF is going to be a bloodbath, and getting a prolonged rest might give us the upper hand in Games 1 and 2 of a potential SCF. Not trying to get ahead of myself, but how our series turns out is going to have a huge impact on our chances to actually win a Stanley Cup.

 

[jniklast]

I find it funny how the Habs fans on this board are almost the polar opposite of Rangers fans when judging their team's performance:

Get absolutely destroyed on home ice 7-2? No problem, they will still win, we are well superior! Meanwhile on the Rangers board such a loss would make this place unbearable with all the posters saying how everybody on our team sucks and we will never win a Cup...

Lose again at home to go down 0-2? No problem, we were dominant in that game and are still superior. We will win this! If the Rangers were down 0-2 this board would be lynching Sather for trading for MSL and Nash would be tared and feathered by then...

I don't like either extremes. The doom and gloom after any loss on this board is pretty bad, but the Habs' hubris is really unbearable.

Also I love how all the Habs were saying that Tampa having Bishop wouldn't change a thing, but now of course with Price (who can almost pass like Gretzky as well!) it's a totally different thing. When the Bruins were saying how they dominated play yet lost the Habs were laughing. Now? Habs complaining about being dominant and it not showing on the scoreboard. Bruins hit 13 posts? Weak excuse! Lundqvist stops 60 of 63? Lucky! Hilarious.

 

[NJBlueShirt]

We need to go up 3-0. Nothing else to say IMO. Giving them one in our building will give them life. If they manage to squeak out 2 wins at MSG, it will be hell for us. Winning this one is our only option.

3-0 is huge, but at the very least we need to split at home. Can't go back to Montreal tied up at 2 like you said. For the Rangers to win this series, we either need to go back to Montreal up 3-1 or not go back at all obviously. I'd much rather win game 3 but like I said, leaving NY at 3-1 isn't a bad spot either.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

This will be a tricky one for me. In between 2 early working days, I have to sacrifice my evening. I'll be sleeping from 5 PM till 1 AM, watch the game, start work at 6 and hope I have the energy to get through the day

 

[Giglio NYR15]

We need to go up 3-0 to take the life out of them. Giving them life will put alot of pressure on us in game 4 sunday, win thursday and theyre pretty much hanging by a thread. Not to mention if were up 3-0, MSG will be a madhouse sunday night. I think the biggest key is the fact AV has last change to pick his matchups. Whether it is get Kreider and co. out their vs Emelin or whoever else, AV seems to have finger on the pulse with matchups.

 

[nevesis]

This will be a tricky one for me. In between 2 early working days, I have to sacrifice my evening. I'll be sleeping from 5 PM till 1 AM, watch the game, start work at 6 and hope I have the energy to get through the day

You guys overseas are extremely dedicated. I love it.

 

[Xref]

3-0 is huge, but at the very least we need to split at home. Can't go back to Montreal tied up at 2 like you said. For the Rangers to win this series, we either need to go back to Montreal up 3-1 or not go back at all obviously. I'd much rather win game 3 but like I said, leaving NY at 3-1 isn't a bad spot either.

I agree with this 100%. While a sweep would be great, splitting at home would not be devastating.

 

[Tawnos]

This will be a tricky one for me. In between 2 early working days, I have to sacrifice my evening. I'll be sleeping from 5 PM till 1 AM, watch the game, start work at 6 and hope I have the energy to get through the day

I'm not sure what you do, but just remember that Marc Staal played a dominant game this season while working off of one hour of sleep. That always gives me inspiration when I have a situation like your's.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

You guys overseas are extremely dedicated. I love it.

Been a fan since 1991. Back in the early 90s, following the Rangers consisted of watching re-runs on Eurosport the next day and asking my dad to buy US newspapers at the American Book Store. Mid-90s I was able to check the scores online and a couple of years later, the streaming started. 240p with banners jumping all over the screen but we've come a long way and now I watch games in HD on a 50 inch flatscreen tv.

Now, with the results the last few years (winning 5 play-off series so far in 3 seasons) it makes it a bit easier to decide on whether or not to watch. Working a job with different shifts makes it a bit easier to be honest. Unless I work early, that is haha.

In November/December I will be travelling to New York for the first time in my life and actually see the Rangers play at MSG. I already saw them in Sweden a couple of years ago and in London in the 90s.

 

[jniklast]

This will be a tricky one for me. In between 2 early working days, I have to sacrifice my evening. I'll be sleeping from 5 PM till 1 AM, watch the game, start work at 6 and hope I have the energy to get through the day

Game starts at 2 AM (or rather what Americans call "starts at"), so you can get an extra hour of sleep. It's even worse than 1 AM though imo. Stupid start time...

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

Does anyone know if the same places always do the playoff viewing parties? I'm meeting up with my dad in PA around 5pm (right outside Philly) so one in North Jersey would be ideal.

EDIT: or even a place like The Flying Puck, which always has a big Ranger crowd, but is a little closer

 

[silverfish]

Vanek skating as an extra at Habs practice

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Vanek skating as an extra at Habs practice

He's been abysmal so far.

Guy is really starting to decline early. Guess all that net front abuse is catching up to him.

 

[nevesis]

Does anyone know if the same places always do the playoff viewing parties? I'm meeting up with my dad in PA around 5pm (right outside Philly) so one in North Jersey would be ideal.

EDIT: or even a place like The Flying Puck, which always has a big Ranger crowd, but is a little closer

Dancin' Larry did a viewing party for Game 2 at this place called BigShots Sports Bar. Might be a good place to watch the game.

http://www.bigshotssportsbarnj.com

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Aside from maybe 20 minutes in each game I think that we've dominated the Habs in both games. Knew it would be a terrible match up for them. They are weaker in all facets of their game, compared to us.

Get to their goalie early. Stay disciplined. Don't get fancy. 3 keys to winning game 3, and ultimately the series.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Game starts at 2 AM (or rather what Americans call "starts at"), so you can get an extra hour of sleep. It's even worse than 1 AM though imo. Stupid start time...

So, that means puck drop at 2:30?

 

[dmjt4160]

He's been abysmal so far.

Guy is really starting to decline early. Guess all that net front abuse is catching up to him.

I legitimately forgot that he was on their team during game 1.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Let's have a loud and positive Garden crowd.